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Cahiers de géographie du Québec

Evolution and Development of Geographical Knowledge in José Seguinot Barbosa

Volume 39, Number 107, 1995

URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/022516ar DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/022516ar

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Publisher(s) Département de géographie de l'Université Laval

ISSN 0007-9766 (print) 1708-8968 (digital)

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Cite this article Barbosa, J. S. (1995). Evolution and Development of Geographical Knowledge in Puerto Rico. Cahiers de géographie du Québec, 39(107), 391–396. https://doi.org/10.7202/022516ar

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This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Evolution and Development of Geographical Knowledge in Puerto Rico

José Seguinot Barbosa Department of Geography Institute for Hemispheric Studies University of Puerto Rico

HISTORY

Geography, as a discipline, arrived in Puerto Rico with those explorers that accompanied Christopher Columbus in his second voyage, during which, on the 19th day of November, 1493, for the first time, Europeans visited the island, then called Boriken by the native population. Although Columbus' description of Puerto Rico is not very précise, the gênerai consensus is that thèse Europeans landed somewhere along the west coast of Puerto Rico. The Spaniards' visit, however, resulted in the inclusion of the island in Europeans maps. Juan de la Cosa's 1506 map of America and Diego de Ribero's 1529 map of the Western Hémisphère placed the island of Puerto Rico in its correct location (Allen, 1982).

The first efforts to develop the level of geographical knowledge were initiated as a resuit of Juan Ponce de Leôn's décision in 1508 to colonize Puerto Rico. It was then, in fact, when the name of Puerto Rico (Rich Port) was first used, not for the island, but for the area on the west side of . And indeed, it was a «Rich Port» : gold was exported from there and many visitors arrived for business and/or settled in the vicinity of Caparra, the largest settlement at that time and further west from San Juan Bay.

The most important geographical work during the first century of colonization was Oviedo's (1547, 1970) General History and The Conquest and Settlement of Puerto Rico. Later, in the 17th century, Abbad and Lasierra (1970) wrote his Historia Geogrâfica y Civil de Puerto Rico (The Géographie and Civil ). This book présents the level of development and conditions of the existing towns, population, housing and infrastructure. It also describes the customs and économie activities of Puerto Rico's inhabitants.

During the Spanish-American war, in 1898, United States forces invaded Puerto Rico and began a relationship between the island and the emerging super power which to date defines the political, social, and économie structure of Puerto Rico. A relationship that was sustained, in great part, at least in the first half of this century, by Puerto Rico's géographie stratégie value. Prior to the arrivai of the U.S. forces, the Spanish had already established various géographie functions and organizations, including various types of laws (urban, forest and environmental) and geographical societies.

Cahiers de Géographie du Québec • Volume 39, n° 107, septembre 1995 • Pages 391-396 During the 20th century, the North Americans conducted additional geographical studies of the island. Berkely (1915), Megerhoff (1933), and Mitchell (1954) conducted significant studies of the geology. However, the most extensive research on the natural condition of Puerto Rico was the Scientific Survey of Puerto Rico (New York Academy of Science, 1920). More recently, Watson Monroe (1980, 1976), Berryhill (1960,1965), and Mattson (1957) conducted geological research in Puerto Rico.

Most of the geographical research of the first half of the 20th century was dominated by North American institutions. It was not until the appearance of Rafaël Picô, that local geographers participated in the development of geographical knowledge. Picô was the first président of the Planning Board (local government agency in charge of public planning policy). His book entitled La Nueva Geografîa de Puerto Rico (The New Geography of Puerto Rico) (Picô, 1975) established contemporary geographical thinking in Puerto Rico.

The first and only Department of Geography was founded at the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan Campus in 1968, thanks in great part to the efforts of professor Pedro Parrilla and several other professors from other countries. Since then, most of Puerto Rico geographical knowledge has emerged from that University unit. The Department has studied and integrated ideas from a variety of schools of thinking, such as quantitative révolution, radical geography, environmental determinism and possibilism, and régional and systemic approaches.

The Department of Geography at the University of Puerto Rico is still the only one in the entire island. It is considered unique in terms of its curriculum, publications, and activities. There are six full-time professors and several other on part-time basis at the Department. Professor José F. Cadilla specializes in physical geography, Angel D. Cruz in cartography and geographical information Systems, Carlos Guilbe in planning and urban geography, Francisco Watlington in biogeography and anthropogeography, Carlos Severino in political and régional geography, and myself in human ecology and geographical information Systems. In terms of régional areas of interest, Guilbe concentrâtes on North America, Cruz and Cadilla on Puerto Rico, Watlington on the Caribbean, Severino on Europe, and I on Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Research production on this subject has been very extensive, particularly the work done by fédéral and local government agencies. In geology and geomorphology, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) prepared the topography and géologie quadrangles of the island of Puerto Rico. It also promotes research in marine geology, water research and hydrogeology of Puerto Rico. The list of publications on this area of study is extensive.

392 Cahiers de Géographie du Québec • Volume 39, n° 107, septembre 1995 Two geographers that hâve distinguished themselves in geology and related fields are José F. Cadilla and José Molinelli. Cadilla's work (1958, 1977) covers the minerai resources of Puerto Rico, karst topography and hydrogeology. Molinelli is currently the Director of the Environmental Science Program at the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan Campus. His research has been in érosion and sédimentation problems, mitigation, and Caribbean plate tectonics.

In the field of soil science, the most distinguished contribution to géographie knowledge is the Inventory and Classification ofSoilsfor ail Puerto Rico's régions. This publication prepared by the Soil Conservation Agency is a valuable aerophotographic source of information on soils' natural and physical properties (Soil Conservation, 1975).

In another area, the National Meteorological Weather Service is responsible for collecting ail the climatological and meteorological data. Another area of great importance to Puerto Rico is Coastal Zone Management. In this regard, the Department of Natural Resources published a compendium of Puerto Rico's Coastal Zone (1975). In terms of expanding geological knowledge, the most extensive work is that of Kaye (1959). My doctoral thesis (1983) and William's (1965) research address the geomorphic changes of Puerto Rico's north coast.

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

There has been extensive development in human geography during the last 10 years. The many books and articles published reflect a wide diversity of approaches and methods used in this discipline. However, in gênerai, systemic and régional works prevail. As an example, the book published by Cadilla and Cruz (1988) entitled Pueblos de Puerto Rico (Towns of Puerto Rico) provides data about the municipal geography of Puerto Rico. On the other hand, Geovisiôn de Puerto Rico (Galinanez, 1977) présents the systemic components such as geology, climatology and population of Puerto Rico. My most récent book in this field is Geografia, Ecologîa y Derecho de Puerto Rico y el Caribe (Geography, Ecology and and the Caribbean) (1994).

The contribution of Puertorican geographers to human geography is extensive. In économie geography and planning, professo r s Pedro Parrilla and Carlos Guilbe hâve been working in the areas of agrobusiness and urban development, respectively Dr. Angel Cruz published his work on agricultural geography of the sugar cane industry (Cruz, 1977). Currently, professor Vicky Muniz is working on her project for geographical analysis of the profile of Puertorican women in New York. Professor Eneida Rivera is preparing a dissertation regarding the impact of geographical factors on employment in Puerto Rico, 1950-1990.

Two professors that recently finished their doctoral studies are Francisco Watlington, who is involved in studies related to viticulture adaptation in Puerto

Evolution and Development of Geographical Knowledge in Puerto Rico Rico and the Caribbean, and Enrique Lôpez, who completed an urban économie analysis of the Fajardo . In the field of political geography, professors Carlos Severino and Julio Muriente are major protagonists. Both hâve interest in Caribbean geopolitical processes. Severino, the current Chairman of the Geography Department, is also interested in the European geopolitical situation. In human ecology, professor Nancy Villanueva has completed a study, from the human geography perspective, on solid waste disposai.

During the last two décades, Puerto Rico has experienced extensive urban development. Several geographers hâve made a commitment to work intensively in the field of urban geography. Professors Guilbe, Severino, Corrada, Salicrup, and Seguinot hâve worked in this area to some extent. Severino produced a study of San Juan's régional standing in the territorial . I hâve published several articles on San Juan urban ecology and geographical history. Professor Ramôn S. Corrada (1994) recently finished his doctoral dissertation on the historical-geographical development of Santurce, the commercial center of the San Juan area, from 1582 to 1930. During this period, San Juan attained primacy within the urban System of Puerto Rico and Santurce became the main focus of development, establishing the urbanization pattern that influences development to this date.

In the field of médical geography, two geographers hâve done their doctoral dissertation about Puerto Rico. Professor Sonia Arbona did a study on environment and pathogen distribution in Puerto Rico and professor Victor Santiago conducted similar type of research, but went further by considering socio- economic conditions of the affected population.

CONCLUSION

Geography in Puerto Rico has evolved from a descriptive into a nomothetic, expérimental and analytical science. The influence of international intellectual currents has affected our discipline, making it an eclectic one, but always preserving the basic principles of intégration and interrelation. The work done to date represents several paradigms and traditions including the gênerai theory of Systems, régional and systematic geography, radical geography, ecological approach, quantitative methods, and cybernetic orientation. Geography in Puerto Rico is a strong discipline complemented with field work and geographical techniques, such as cartography, geographical information Systems and remote sensing.

It is quite évident that there is a distinctively Puertorican school of géographie thinking which, nevertheless, has been influenced by that from other countries. Among the best known geographers in Puerto Rico, from outside the island, are : Jim Blau and David Harvey from United States; Joaquin Bosque Maurel and Vilâ Valenti from Spain; Milton Santos and Robert Moraes from Brazil; Levi Marrero from Cuba; Gilles Ritchot and Guy Mercier from Québec, Canada.

394 Cahiers de Géographie du Québec • Volume 39, n° 107, septembre 1995 Collaboration with thèse and other sources of géographie knowledge continues to be expanded. For example, a joint project between the University of Puerto Rico and Laval University in Québec has been formalized, for the development of a treatise entitled Prohibited Globalization in Québec, Caribbean, and America. This is but the first of several such projects now under considération for the near future.

It is recognized that the many international influences hâve corne together with local and Caribbean geographical éléments to produce a very complex and diverse geographical base of knowledge in Puerto Rico.

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